Special Operations Forces (Russia)
|branch=Special Operations Forces Command |command_structure= Russian Armed Forces |type=Spetsnaz |role=Special Operations *Special reconnaissance *Direct action *Assassination *Sabotage *Unconventional warfare *Counter-terrorism *Counterintelligence *Counter-Insurgency *Airborne operations *Amphibious warfare |size= Classified |current_commander= |garrison=Kubinka-2, Moscow region |garrison_label= |ceremonial_chief= |ceremonial_chief_label= |motto= |colors=Black |colors_label= |march= |mascot= |battles=2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War *Liberation of Palmyra *Second Liberation of Palmyra |notable_commanders=Oleg Martyanov |identification_symbol_label= |identification_symbol_4= |identification_symbol_4_label= |anniversaries=February 27 }} The Special Operations Forces of Russia, or SOF ( ) are strategic-level special forces under the Special Operations Forces Command ( ) of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The first units of what would become the Special Operations Forces were transfered from the GRU in 2009 as part of the continuing 2008 Russian military reform.«Наиболее сложная и опасная работа»: как Россия использует Силы специальных операций RT, 27 February 2018. The Special Operations Forces Command was set up in 2012 and announced in March 2013 by the Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.Россия решила создать силы специальных операций RIA Novosti, 6 March 2013. According to Gerasimov, the SOF was designed as a strategic-level asset, whose primary missions would be foreign interventions, including sabotage and anti-terrorism operations.Mark Galeotti. The rising influence of Russian special forces Jane's Intelligence Review, 2014.В Вооруженных силах РФ созданы силы специальных операций RIA Novosti, 23 March 2013. SOF do not belong to any branch of the Russian armed forces and are distinct from the Special Forces of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces that until 2010 were under the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) and whose subsequent subordination appears to be unclear. Russia's SOF are manned exclusively by professional personnel hired on contract, in commissioned officer positions. In February 2015, President of Russia Vladimir Putin decreed that 27 February be the Day of the SOF to mark, according to Russia's official news media (albeit not acknowledged formally), the establishment of Russian control over the building of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in Simferopol, Ukraine, in February 2014.Вежливые люди получили свой День Rossiyskaya Gazeta, 27 February 2017.День сил специальных операций в России RIA Novosti, 27 February 2018. Mission and methods The Forces are a highly mobile, well-trained and equipped, constant combat readiness special operations force of the Russian Ministry of Defense, designed to perform specific tasks in order to protect the interests of Russian Federation (with application of military force, by necessity), both within the country and abroad, in peacetime and in wartime. The Russian Ministry of Defense defines the term "special operation" as "methods and ways of fighting not characteristic of conventional forces: reconnaissance and sabotage, subversion and sedition, counter-terrorism, counter-sabotage, counterintelligence, guerrilla, counter-guerrilla and other activities". Появилось видео работы бойцов Сил спецопераций ВС РФ в Сирии TASS, 2 March 2017. History In 2009, as a part of the comprehensive reform of the Russian Federation's Armed Forces, Special Operations Directorate, subordinate directly to the Chief of the General Staff, was created on the basis of the GRU's special missions unit Senezh in the Moscow region. The unit saw extensive action in the Caucasus region and earned the nickname "podsolnukhi" (sunflowers), a nickname given to the soldiers assigned to the unit while serving in Chechnya. It was reported that Colonel Oleg Martianov, who later became a member of the board of the Military-Industrial Commission, was one of the founders and first commander of the SOF in 2009−2013. [https://ria.ru/defense_safety/20170227/1488828946.html Эксперт рассказал, каким будет бронежилет спецназовца будущего] RIA Novosti, 27 February 2017. In 2012, the Special Operations Directorate was reorganized as Special Operations Command, which was followed by plans to upscale the Forces manpower up to 9 special purpose brigades. On 6 March 2013 the Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov announced the beginning of the Special Operations Forces creation. While speaking to foreign military attaches in Moscow, he said: "After reviewing the practice of the formation, training and the use of special operations forces in the leading countries of the world, Russia's Defense Ministry has also begun to create them... A corresponding command was created, which is engaged in planning work and implements plan of training of the Armed Forces... A set of documents has already been elaborated to determine the direction of development, methods of training and application of these forces".Начальник Генштаба ВС РФ Валерий Герасимов: Россия создает силы специальных операций tvzvazda.ru, 6 March 2013. In March 2013, according to Russian media reports, creation of the Special Operations Center of the Ministry of Defense of Russia for around 500 professional soldiers began in the suburban village of Kubinka-2. Formation of the Center was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013. The center was directly subordinated to the Special Operations Forces Command of the Russian Ministry of Defense. At the end of April 2013, units of Special Operations Forces conducted a special tactics exercise at Elbrus mountains at the height of 4,5 kilometers. The exercise was dedicated to practice transportation of one of the SSO units by military transport aviation and army aviation, as well as air insertion of personnel and cargo into target area. [https://www.gazeta.ru/army/2017/02/27/10547549.shtml «Вежливые люди» отмечают годовщину] gazeta.ru, 27 February 2017. In May 2013, the General Staff said that SOF would be tasked with security of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and that SOF now comprised air and naval components.Cозданные в РФ силы спецопераций займутся обеспечением безопасности ОИ RIA Novosti, 18 May 2013. Operations and casualties * In 2014, unidentified men with military weapons began blockading Ukrainian bases in Crimea, and on February 27, around 50 men seized the Crimean parliament building. While claiming to be a local militia, this well-armed and highly professional unit turned out to be the first deployment of Russia's special operators. According to Russian media reports, the commander of SOF then was Alexey Dyumin, who personally conducted operations in Crimea. Вот Тула прилетела: Алексей Дюмин сменил Владимира Груздева на посту губернатора Kommersant, 3 February 2016. * Special Operations Forces of Russia have been involved in Syria, primarily conducting target acquisition for Russian Air Force combat planes as well as for other purposes, such as the training of Syrian government troops, elimination of fighters and destroying critical enemy objects. Russian-led military intervention in Syria During the battle of Palmyra in March 2016, Special Operations Forces senior lieutenant Alexander Prokhorenko was killed. [http://tass.ru/info/2698954 День Сил специальных операций РФ. Досье] TASS, 26 February 2018. * SOF have been tasked in recovering the flight recorder of Russia's downed Su-24M back in November 2015, and reconnoitering targets for cruise missile strikes, disruption behind enemy lines through ambushes, high value targeted assassinations and retaliation strikes against select groups of fighters. The SSO also played a crucial role in the battle for Palmyra in Spring, 2016 and provided support in the Syrian push for Aleppo in the same year. * A commander of a special missions detachment was awarded a Gold Star and named a Hero of the Russian Federation after his 16-man unit managed to successfully repulse multiple attacks conducted by an estimated 300 jihadists without loss, after being surrounded by the jihadis and abandoned by their Syrian allies. Three other operators from the same unit were also awarded honors. Structure * Special Purpose Center "Senezh" * Special Purpose Center "Kubinka-2" * 561st Naval Rescue Center * Special Aviation Brigade While official numbers are classified, between Senezh and Kubinka-2 there are between 2,000 and 2,500 total personnel. Additionally, the Command also has supporting elements, that provide Combat Support and Combat Service Support functions. Furthermore, the Command has a dedicated special aviation brigade that directly controls combat aviation assets at Torzhok, and a squadron of Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft at the Migalovo airfield near Tver.http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2017/mdn-dnd/D4-10-21-2017-eng.pdf Training The training of the officer recruit special operators is carried out in the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School – RVVDKU (department of special and military intelligence and the department of the use of special forces) and the Novosibirsk Higher Military Command School – NVVKU (department of special intelligence and the chair of the special reconnaissance and airborne training). At Senezh, potential operators learn skydiving, mountaineering, swimming and scuba diving, and storming buildings and homes, while Kubinka-2 focuses on marritime operations and recon and controls several naval special operations detachments. There is also a cold weather/mountaineering training centre at Mount Elbrus named "Terskol," in Kabardino-Balkaria. Additionally, depending on the individual tasks the soldiers are being prepared for, the training is more in-depth. Weapons Handguns * APS * PYa * Glock 17 *SPP-1 Underwater Pistol * PB (pistol) * PSS silent pistol * Makarov pistol Submachine guns * Vityaz * MP5 * PP-19 * PP-91 * SR-2 Assault rifles * AS Val * AK-74M * AK-105 * APS * AK-103 * AK-104 * ADS * AEK-971 Sniper rifles * VSS Vintorez * Sako TRG 22 / 42 * Orsis T-5000 * SV-98 * Dragunov SVD * OSV-96 * ASVK-M Kord-Mhttps://www.janes.com/article/87103/russia-s-6v7m-anti-materiel-rifle-cleared-for-export * Steyr SSG 08 Machine guns * PKM * Pecheneg * RPK-74M Explosive weapons * GP-34 * GM-94 * RShG-2 * RPG-27 * RPO PDM-A * 9K111 «Fagot» * MON-50 * RGO * RGN Equipment Apparel * Arcteryx LEAF kit * Special Operations Forces kit for extremely hot climate * Propper Multicam BDU * Tactical Performance ATACS FG Tactical Field Jacket / Tactical Combat Pants * Tactical Performance ATACS FG Battle Strike Uniform Coat / Trousers * Tactical Performance Multicam Tactical Field Jacket / Tactical Combat Pants * Tactical Performance Multicam Battle Strike Uniform Coat / Trousers * Tactical Performance Multicam Tactical Combat Shirt * Phantom special thermal underwear * Ratnik VKBO EMR camouflage combat uniforms * Arctic raid suit "Nanuk," other special equipment for low temperatures Helmets * 6B7-1M * «Voin-Kiver RSP» * LSHZ 1+ * 6B47 * 5,45 Design Spartan 1 * 5,45 Design Spartan 2 * 5,45 Design Spartan 3 Vests * 6Sh112 LBV * 6Sh117 LBV * 6B43 armor vest * 6B45 * 6B46 * «Redut-M» armour vest * STICH PROFI® Loading system plate carrier * STICH PROFI® Lightweight plate carrier * FORT Defender 2 * 5.11 Tactec Plate Carrier * ARS ARMA Tactec Plate Carrier * Raidgear&MBC "Phantom" universal Plate Carrier * Raidgear&MBC MBSVest Type 2 and 3 Molle Minus universal bodyarmor * Various Crye Precision, Survival corps, SSO/SPSON, Gear Craft, Wartech, FORT, ANA tactical, ARSARMA, Armocom plate carriers Other * FORT «Fortres K14» protective suit * FORT «Raid-L» protective suit * PMK gas mask * GKN-7 diving suit * «Aqualung Amphora» rebreather * «Veer-6» ballistic shield * PT-2 thermal monocular * Peltor Com Tac XP headset * NRS-2 special scout knife * ZALA UAVs * Strelets reconnaissance, control and communications system * «Arbalet» parachute system Transport Vehicles Ground vehicles * «Yamaha Grizzly» 700 ATV * Iveco LMV «Rys» * GAZ-2330 «Tigr» Aircraft * Mi-8MTV-5 transport helicopter * Mi-8AMTSh armed assault helicopter * An-26 transport aircraft Watercrafts * BRP SEA-DOO GTX LTD PWC * BRP SEA-DOO RTX-215 PWC * BK-16 and BK-10 * RBS BlackShadow DPVs (Diver Propulsion Vehicles) Gallery File:Sso-2017-1200-1(1).jpg File:006(2)(1).KSO.jpg File:SAVX6317(1).jpg File:SAVX0514-1(1).jpg File:SAVX0449-1(1).jpg File:SAVX0309(1).jpg File:SAVX0287-2(1).jpg File:300.SSO(1).jpg File:297.KSO(1).jpg File:289.KSO(1).jpg File:256(1).KSO.jpg File:237(1).KSO.jpg File:20(10)(1).KSO.jpg File:06.KSO(14)(1).jpg File:KR0L5883(1).jpg See also *SPETSNAZ *Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) - U.S. equivalent command *Little green men (Ukrainian crisis) *List of military special forces units References Category:Military units and formations established in 2009 Category:Military units and formations established in 2013 Category:Special forces of Russia Category:Special forces units and formations Category:Military of Russia Category:Counter-terrorist organizations